Parker Chronicle 9
May 12, 2022
TAX FROM PAGE 1
the town council about his plans. “We will be doing it and I will come back and tell you what our plan is, what the terms are, who is on that committee and what our schedule is,” he said. When pressed on this decision to begin an initiative without being directed to do so by the council, Toborg said he had gotten approval from legal staff to do so. “That’s something that this council, I thought, would know about,” Rivero said. “When it’s convenient for you, you tell us and that is really disappointing to me.” Town attorney Kristin Hoffman said that she doesn’t believe
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What is acceptable? Peterson said the district “has an interest in respectful dialogue,” whether that be at a board meeting or interactions among parents and teachers. His approach “has always been to err to allowing free speech,” he said. “I believe that’s critical,” he said. As to what might be fueling the discourse at this juncture, Peterson thinks it’s likely a reflection of political polarization nationwide being reflected all the way down to
it’s a legal issue but that Toborg needs to make clear that he’s not speaking on behalf of the council and that he’s not representing the direction the council has given. When asked where the missing revenue would come from if the grocery-tax repeal is approved, Toborg suggested the town could raise its lodging tax or add a tobacco tax but didn’t provide specifics on how much of the lost revenue could be regained. During the 2020 election for mayor, Toborg made the repeal of the grocery tax a central element of his campaign. He called it an antiquated tax and said that it hurts low-income residents in the town. At the time, town Finance Director Mary Lou Brown estimated that the tax provides between $7
million and $10 million annually for the town’s general fund, which is the fund that pays for the police department, roads and parks, along with other expenditures. She estimated that excluding food for home consumption from the tax code would reduce the budget by up to 20%, which would “likely impact the number of town employees, which, in turn, would impact the level of service and the services themselves that could be offered,” she said. She also said it would be difficult to replace that income stream. In the April 25 meeting, Toborg said that because the town doesn’t separate food for home consumption from other items purchased at a grocery store, the figures for how much revenue comes from the tax aren’t correct. He said he believes
he has a more accurate figure but didn’t provide it. Rivero, who ran against Toborg for mayor, said he wants to see where the new revenue will come from before they consider taking it away. “I’m afraid of the town falling apart is what I’m afraid of,” Rivero said. “I’m afraid of people making an uneducated and wrong decision because tax is sexy and I’m afraid of this town losing revenue and of losing services that we moved here for.” Toborg said he will need 7,000 signatures on a petition before the initiative can move forward. The council will revisit the conversation in a future work session. Work sessions, which are streamed online and recorded, are available at Parkeronline.org/2118.
the school board level. “There’s a lot of passion, there’s a lot of emotion in our community across a variety of issues,” he said. Peterson said it’s OK to disagree with other people who attend school board meetings. It’s OK to be critical of board members, he said. “This is not a place for partisan political attacks,” Peterson said. His priority is allowing each board director, presenter, and public commenter to speak without interruptions, he said. Reactions to public comment is “certainly not appropriate if it interrupts speakers,” he said. Applause in-between speakers, “I actually don’t mind that,” he said.
Although past boards were more strict about prohibiting reaction to public comment, Peterson has taken a different approach, and permitted applause or cheers inbetween He has felt attendees were compliant in instances when he asked someone to settle down. Peterson said he can’t always see or hear what happens in the audience. He was leery of labeling specific conduct as bullying or intimidation. “Sometimes it’s difficult to monitor those situations,” he said. Peterson said he will be relying on district staff more often to help him keep the room’s discourse civil.
Peterson said board directors also bear a responsibility to model the behavior they want to see among the community, particularly when directors disagree. The April 26 meeting featured all 7-0 votes with the exception of one 6-1 decision, which boiled down to an administrative issue, he said. Whether or not fraught school board meetings are the new normal is “a good question,” Peterson said, and one he doesn’t have the answer to. But Peterson is optimistic, he said, that tension in DCSD will simmer down. “And we can focus more on what unites us than what divides us,” he said.
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